Out West

I spent last week in Cali, Morgan Hill to be precise.

I had the chance to test some new products, hangout with some cool people and I even learned a thing or two.

 On Thursday we rode the Sea Otter race course. I was most definitely feeling the effects of our long Kansas winter.

"Trail conditions" were less than ideal. I use quotes because anyone who has ridden or raced at Laguna Seca knows it's more dirt road and double track than actual trail. An abnormally wet winter brought much needed rain, but also created giant sinkholes and axle-deep ruts in many places.

Coming off a water bar on the first descent I managed to maneuver out of harms way, narrowly missing a man-eater of a sinkhole.  One of my buddies, a known Team Segal nerdowell, was not so lucky — he rode straight in, crashed in spectacular fashion and came away with a broken collar bone.


At least it was a loaner bike.

Racing 2010

My 2009 'cross season ended abruptly due to a dislocated patella from Barnyard Cross.

Ok, that's a lie...

The dislocated knee cap was a result of "dropping it like it's hot" whilst dancing after Barnyard Cross. It would serve me well to remember I am no longer a kid — when I dance, there will be consequences.

In any case, I've been doing my best to get healthy over these long winter months. I haven't been able to log as many base miles would have liked, but I did manage to secure two things that will motivate me to get in race shape.

The first is a transfer entry to Ouachita. This year's registration filled up in the blink of an eye and I missed it.

The second is this:

It weighs 2.6 lbs and is made of something the engineers at NASA are referring to as "carpet fiber."

Saying goodbye to an old friend

I enjoy having a garage full of bikes, but at some point enough is enough. When a bike sits unused for the better part of a year, and I have no motivation to take it off the wall, it is time to say goodbye.It's silly to get attached to full-suspension bikes. At the end of the day, they're disposable. The shock, linkages and bearings will wear out eventually. Even if you can find replacement parts a few years down the road, the pace of lighter/faster/more efficient hype has passed you by.

Full squish notwithstanding, this bike is hard for me to let go of — 2004 Specialized Stumpjumper, 30th Anniversary Edition. She served me well through my undergrad years, skipping class to explore the unending maze of trails that crisscross the George Washington National Forrest. My first expert race, first Shenandoah 100, my first 24 hour race and many great trips to Moab were spent aboard this bike. Fit and performance were perfect for my riding style...at the time.

A few years ago while in the throws of a bad case of bike shop burn-out, I'd had enough. I couldn't stand working on my own bikes anymore. Something was always broken, needed adjustment, etc. I'm very particular when it comes to bike setup. Full suspension magnified this. Shock pressure, rebound and damping all had to be just right. Enough was enough. Bikes should not be money pits, and more time should not be be devoted to upkeep than riding.

In a fit of "fuckit" I stripped the gears off my Gunnar Rockhound, tore apart an old cassette for its 17 - tooth cog and got lucky, 32 x 17 work without a chain-tensioner. Perfect.

The Gunnar was a stopgap until I acquired a 29'er single speed. Since then the Stumpy's four inches of travel have not been needed. And, honestly, the bike feels damn weird to ride now.

Ciao bella.